Cost per use
A £300 coat worn 300 times costs less per wear than a £60 dress worn twice. Spreading the cost over every use is the fairest comparison.
true cost ÷ total usesIs it worth it?
Honest calculators for everyday trade-offs: what something really costs, whether it's worth your time, which job really pays more, whether to buy now or wait, whether to buy a meal or make it, and whether a greener switch pays off. Every answer prints as a receipt you can share.
Start with one of these, or your own
Fine-tune it
Every number is an example until you change it.
£a year
Insurance, care, servicing, or the habit itself.% a year
Minus if it loses value. Use −100 for things that get used up.% of sale
Resale fees, commission, estate agents.£a year
Rent you'd stop paying, fares saved, rent you'd charge.% a year
The growth you give up by spending. Try 0 to ignore it.£an hour
Turns the cost into hours of your work.Borrowing and buying costs for cars, homes and land
£
Stamp duty or LBTT, legal fees, surveys.% of price
100 if you're not borrowing.% a year
years
The real price
True cost
Start with one of these, or your own
Over the years
Money spent, if it had been investedWhat you'd walk away with if you sold
That's the same as
Rough UK prices, so you can feel the number.
Where the money goes
Side by side
Line anything up against anything
Press Compare on any receipt to add it here. Tap a tag to load it back into the calculator. Kept on this device only.
How it works
Four things decide if it's worth it
What comes back
Some things lose value fast, some hold it, a few grow. Whatever you can sell it for, minus fees, comes off the cost.
price × (1 + change)ⁿ × (1 − fees)The cost of keeping it
Insurance, servicing, interest on a loan, buying fees. Savings count the other way: a home means rent you no longer pay.
running − savings, every yearThe road not taken
Money you spend can't grow anywhere else. This counts what your spending might have become if it had been invested instead.
each payment × (1 + rate)ʸᵉᵃʳˢ ˡᵉᶠᵗRough starting points for value change
Very rough, and they vary a lot by model, condition and market. Check recent sale prices for anything you're serious about.
| Type of thing | Typical change a year |
|---|---|
| Food, drink, experiences, subscriptions | −100% |
| Phones, laptops, everyday clothes | −25 to −60% |
| New cars | −12 to −20% |
| Fine watches and jewellery | −5 to +3% |
| The most sought-after luxury bags | 0 to +5% |
| Homes and land, over the long run | +1 to +5% |
Good questions
Why does a home sometimes "pay its way"?
Because the rent you'd otherwise pay counts as a saving, and the home is still yours at the end. Put your own rent and house price growth in, and try a lower growth rate to see how sensitive it is.
Why is the true cost bigger than the price?
Running costs, borrowing and the growth your money could have earned all add up. Set "If you invested instead" to 0 to see the cost without it.
How do I do a habit, like coffee or the gym?
Set the price to 0 and put the yearly spend in running costs. The flat white and gym examples show how.
Is this financial advice?
No. It's a way to see the maths behind a decision. It assumes steady rates, a loan repaid monthly and cleared when you sell, and no tax. For big decisions, talk to a qualified adviser.
Do you store what I type?
No. The sums run in your browser. Your comparison shelf stays on your own device, and a shared link only contains the numbers you chose to share.
Good questions
What should I add next?
Suggest something to price up, from a puppy to a pension top-up.